Tag Archives: Danielle De Stefano

After winning the Democratic primary last month, Costa Constantinides is ready to head into the General Election to fill departing Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr.’s seat in the 22nd Council District.

“I think Astoria has always been a great place to live, I had a wonderful childhood growing up here,” he said. “It’s a wonderful place and I just want to help continue to foster that same atmosphere.”

In 2009, Constantinides was elected to serve as the Democratic District Leader for the 36th Assembly District, Part A. He served as Legislative Director and Deputy Chief of Staff to Councilmember James F. Gennaro.

In September, Constantinides took the win against attorney John Ciafone and longtime Community Board 1 member Constantinos “Gus” Prentzas in the Democratic primary.

Some of the main areas Constantinides hopes to address if elected are better environmental protection, including reducing traffic congestion, expanding open space and investing in clean energy. He also hopes to improve schools for the children in his district, with introducing better technology and dealing with overcrowding.

Constantinides also plans to clean up the streets by prioritizing garbage pickups, funding a street sweeping program like the Doe Fund, and making sure there are enough enforcement agents to make sure the community stays clean.

“All these things are sort of interconnected with one another and I think when we deal with each individual problem we’re going to help our community move itself forward,” said Constantinides.

Constantinides will run against Republican Daniel Peterson, Green Party candidate Lynne Serpe, Independent Danielle De Stefano and Populist Party candidate Gerald Kann in the general election on November 5.

“This is a real opportunity to vote for the mayor. It’s going to decide our city government,” he said. “It’s important to make sure your voice is heard. So I really encourage every constituent to come out and be part of the process, whether they’re voting for me or not.”

Longtime Community Board 1 member and small business owner Constantinos “Gus” Prentzas is looking to fill departing Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr.’s seat in the 22nd Council District.

“Northwestern Queens has grown and flourished over the last 12 years,” he said. “I believe I have the right balance of private and public sector experience to continue that progress and look forward to engaging and serving the community in the City Council.”

Prentzas will run as a Democrat. He believes that through his years of experience on the community board and local school boards, he will be able to bring Astoria the leadership it needs.

“I have been proud to serve the community for more than a decade in many different capacities, both elected and unelected,” said Prentzas. “With the seat being vacated by Councilmember Peter Vallone, who is seeking the office of

Borough President, many in the community have been urging me to run to replace him to continue the progress of our community and build on his successful record.”

Prentzas faces attorney John Ciafone, Democratic District Leader Costa Constantinides, Independence Party member and Monsignor McClancy High School volleyball Coach Danielle De Stefano, Republican and former New York Young Republican Club president Daniel Peterson, and Green Party candidate Lynne Serpe.

Tony Meloni, one of the first candidates to enter the Democratic race for Peter Vallone Jr.’s City Council seat, announced he is dropping out.

Meloni confirmed he is ending his campaign to represent District 22 in Astoria so he can focus on his family and work in the community.

“It was a really hard decision,” Meloni said. “I have gone back and forth so many times. I absolutely love this community, but a person has to know their limitations and I decided to re-focus and reevaluate.”

His positions in the community include chair of Community Board 1’s public safety committee, vice-president of the Astoria Civic Association, founder of New York Anti-Crime and executive director of the Immigration Advocacy Services, an outreach center in Astoria.

Even though he is dropping out of the race, Meloni said he will remain highly active in the community to make sure focus is not lost on important issues. In regard to a future City Council run, he said he does not rule anything out, but wants to take it a step at a time.

Current candidates for District 22 are Democrats Costa Constantinides and attorney John Ciafone, Republican Daniel Peterson, Green Party candidate Lynn Serpe and Independent candidate Danielle De Stefano.